Father's Day
by India Rose Ghersi
Summary: Stuck in the hospital for Father's Day, Meredith's fellow interns reminisce about their fondest memories of their fathers. When Meredith finds she doesn't have any good memories of her own father, she feels left out. Until she realizes she's had another father all along… One Shot


"Karev, Grey, O'Malley, Stevens, Yang," came Doctor Bailey's brisk, serious voice. The young doctors looked up at her at the sound of their names. "I'm sorry, but y'all are gonna have to stay." She said, walking away before there could be so much as a murmur of complaint.

* * *

"I really wanted to see my Dad today." George said, his face falling at the realisation.

"Beats me." Cristina shrugged. "Dad's gone…"

"I thought I was starting the day with a surgery." George said sadly. "Not staying the whole day."

"What's so bad about it George? Really?" Alex asked. "More patients. More surgeries, more fun." He said, rubbing his hands together.

"Exactly." Izzie smiled. "More surgeries. Yay!" The others turned to stare at her. "What?" She asked, looking around at them all. "I'm only trying to make the best of a bad situation."

"I suppose Izzie's got a point." Meredith said, eliciting Izzie's existing smile to grow wider.

"Thank you Meredith!"

"I mean, seriously, who wants to be stuck here on Father's day? We'd rather be spending time with our Dad's."

"For those of us who've still got 'em…" Cristina said.

"Also a good point." Meredith agreed.

* * *

"So, we're stuck here anyway, there's nothing to do for now…" Alex started.

"What's everyone's happiest memory of their dad?" Izzie asked brightly, eliciting a few eye rolls among her colleagues.

Cristina shrugged, figuring she had nothing to lose. "I'll never forget the day I'd had with my father before…"

Meredith's face immediately flooded with sympathy as her friend started to speak. She knew how hard it was for Cristina to talk about her dad. It was one of the rare moments she showed any emotion at all.

"It sounds stupid, but I was really happy. It was just me and Dad. Just the two of us. We went to the lake, got ice cream. He was taking me back home and…"

Everyone nodded, understanding what she couldn't say.

"That's great Cristina." Izzie said happily. "Who wants to go next?"

When there was a long silence, Alex spoke up. If it were anyone but Izzie… "I don't have a lot of happy memories of Dad. What with the drugs most of the time and upsetting my Mum." Alex paused, thinking back. "But, one of my earliest memories was when I was riding a trike. I was about two and he had been pushing on the handle bar behind me. All of a sudden, he let go and when I looked back, he was smiling and waving at me, cheering me on. That's probably the _only_ good memory I have of him." Being unaware, a small smile slipped from Alex's lips as he remembered the happy time.

"That sounds really nice." Izzie said. When no one broke the long silence, she spoke up again. "Ok, so I guess it's my turn. I never really knew my father. But, he ah…I have one memory. I was really little and I'd escaped from the trailer. I remember him calling my name, screaming for me. But that's it. That's all I've got." She said, looking sad. "George?"

"I remember I was about ten at the time, just Dad and I. For once. Without my brothers. He took me fishing and was intent that I'd catch a fish. We sat there for hours with nothing. There was just the quiet and the water lapping against the boat. Then I got a pull and he helped me reel it in, and that was the O'Malley family dinner that night."

"So, Georgey boy caught a fish." Alex commented, raising an eyebrow.

"That sounds great. Meredith?"

Meredith said nothing, barely aware of Izzie calling her name. She thought back, long and hard, trying to remember something, anything. Only, there was nothing.

"Meredith?" Izzie tried, now kneeling down in front of her friend, a worried expression on her face. "Meredith are you ok?"

"What?" Meredith asked, snapping out of her trance suddenly. "Wha.. Oh yeah. I'm fine."

* * *

"What are we doing just sitting round here when we could be snatching up the best surgeries?" Alex asked suddenly, standing up and making for the door. Izzie and George soon followed him away, Cristina lingering in the doorway, looking back at her friend.

"What are you waiting for Meredith?" She asked. "The others are all gonna get them and we'll be stuck in the pit doing sutures…"

"It's ok Cristina, you go. I'll catch up." Meredith smiled as a realisation hit.

Heading in the opposite direction to her friend, Meredith knew exactly where she was headed.

* * *

"Meredith." Chief Webber said, a little shocked to see her standing in the doorway of his office. "Everything alright?" He asked, coming closer as a few tears trickled down her face.

"Yeah. Fine." Meredith said, hastily wiping the tears away. "Just... thank you." She said slowly, hugging him.

"What for?" The Chief asked, pulling back.

"You didn't have to treat me the way you did when I was a kid. You're the closest thing I've ever had to a Dad. Thank you."

"Oh." He said, suddenly realising what all of this was about. "It's ok Meredith." He smiled. "My pleasure. Now, why don't you get out there? You'll miss all the best surgeries otherwise."

"Good point Chief." She said, walking away. She paused in the doorway, turning back to Richard as he spoke again.

"Oh, and Meredith?"

"Yes Chief?"

"Anytime you need anything, you come find me ok?"

"Thanks Chief." She smiled. "Same here."


End file.
